John V. Lombardi's firing last week as president of the Louisiana State University system is described by his supporters as the culmination of years of interference from Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, and an indication of the growing power of a group of business leaders seeking greater autonomy for the state's flagship campus.
Several of the 12 members of the university system's Board of Supervisors who voted in favor of dismissing Mr. Lombardi have publicly stated that they did so free of outside influence, and the minority who supported the former president have not produced direct evidence that Mr. Jindal or his staff ordered the firing. ...